Products Shipped by Rail

What types of products are shipped by rail?

BNSF helps connect freight shippers and consumers in the global marketplace. For more than 160 years, BNSF has played a vital role in building and serving the nation's economy by delivering many of the products we use every day:

Grain and other ingredients to produce the foods we eat,

raw materials to build our homes and operate our businesses,

finished electronics, clothing and consumer goods we use every day,

low-sulfur coal used to generate more than 10 percent of the nation's electricity.

Operating one of America's largest railroad networks, BNSF connects the communities we serve to the rest of the country and the world.
Learn more about what you can ship by rail.

Do you move hazardous materials in my community?

Railroads are required by federal law to move hazardous materials. Most of these include products used by consumers every day such as paint, batteries, alcohol-containing products such as hand sanitizer and insect repellent, and household cleaning products.

The hazardous materials of greatest concern to emergency officials are a tiny portion of all rail shipments, amounting to only about 0.3 percent of all rail shipments. BNSF helps train emergency responders across our system to ensure they are prepared to protect the public should such an emergency occur. BNSF also has 160 emergency response personnel stationed around our network who are trained, equipped and prepared to monitor and respond to any emergency situation involving hazardous materials. More importantly, BNSF invests significant capital and effort working with our customers, employees and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to reduce the likelihood of such incidents.

REPORT EMERGENCIES

CALL 800-832-5452

To report a vehicle stalled on a crossing or to report false activation of crossing gates and lights, call 800-832-5452 immediately.